Understanding Pre-Teen Preferences: The Percy Jackson Divide
- TalkingCircles
- Apr 1
- 3 min read
As always the session at the Young Readers' Club started with much chatter. One of the readers was excited about getting the 5th book in the Percy Jackson series. Another said she tried reading it but couldn't get past 6 or 7 chapters. Another added, "Not bad you got that far. I somehow couldn't."
At the Young Readers' Club it is an unwritten understanding that all of us have different reading preferences. While many in the club adore Percy Jackson, there are a few who don't enjoy it as much but rather pick Ross Welford or David Walliams. Conversations in the lines described above, occur. The Percy Jackson fans understand that not everyone enjoys reading Greek Mythology. They don't fancy some books such as Murderous Maths for example, even though there are a few who love that series. Is there a book or a series universally loved by every child? There is none. Not even Enid Blyton, not even J.K Rowling or Rick Riordon. That's how it is.
Recognizing our diverse reading preferences outside of Percy Jackson
The fact that we know that our reading interests may not match all the time, allows us to be more open to listening into conversations about books across genres. Everyone of us love talking about our favorite books. It is only fair that we listen to someone sharing their reading experiences even though the book in question might not be a book that we would pick up on our own. Perhaps something we hear might change our opinion and lead us to a fruitful reading experience which we might have thought impossible.
Listening to a peer recommend a book vs an adult recommending the same book
No one likes being told what to do all the time. Even more so when it comes to reading. Being forced to read a book because a whole generation is reading is not going to bring change for the better. It will only make things worse. A hatred towards reading will grow and it will be a chore that needs to be struck off the 'to do' list.
On the contrary, if a peer recommends a book, there is room for choice. The urge to give it a try emerges. What if it turns out to be good? is a thought that is likely to run through a young reader's mind. Peer pressure after all doesn't need to be always bad. At times, it might just turn out to be for the good.
"What if Percy Jackson doesn't fascinate me?"
There are plenty of other books to choose from. Just because the peers like it, it doesn't mean that your child needs to like too. Why not pick another book and share it with one's peers. Why not widen one's reading horizons instead of restricting it to the popular series alone?
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The Young Readers' Club is a book club for the 8-12 age group. We also do vocabulary building activities and mini writing lessons for a little variety!
Writing programs for the 9-12 age group- Young Writers' Club Jr.
The Young Writers' Club program for the 13-16 age group offers a weekly platform to read and discuss curated articles from the news, observe writing approaches and practise one's writing skills.
NEW! Tween Tribune is an online magazine for the Young Writers' Club (Jr.) program for tweens. Weekly updates of our discussions are published. Once in 6 months, the best of writing by the tween members is made available to read.
NEW! Musings from the Young Writers' Club is an online magazine showcasing the work we do at the Young Writers' Club.
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